New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-28
SUNDAY EDITION.
AUGUST 2s, 1887.
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
AN INNOVATION Blythe PRESIDENT

/
HIS ROUNDABOUT WAY OF REACHING THE Rail-
WAY sTATIoS-A "REMINISCENCES OF JOIN
WILKES BOOTH.
| IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT rRrBuNs.i
WAsHINGToS. Aug. III There may be good
and sufficient reason his own estimation why
| President Cleveland should carefully avoid contact
with recognition of bis fellow citizens who may
chance TO be in the railroad station when he has occa
sion visit it, but nobody to be able to divine
It, Some persons have suggested that 1t Is timidty
which Mr. Cleveland to enter the station and
reach the passengers platform by roundabout way
| and the back door, and they assert that he cannot
| look without shudder on the tablet which marks
the spot where Garield Tell by the bullet OF an as
sassn And yet order to reach the train, he walks
conside cradle distance along the tracks over which
locomotives and cars moving almost constantly,
and IL compelled to dodge from one side to the other
| in order to escape them On Wednesday. When Mr..
Cleveland went to tho station to meet his wife ana her
mother, he made this roundabout and dangerous
journey twice-the secoud time with them. In order
to reach the carriage they compelled tn Chamber
over train which occupied one OF the tracks and
| which might move at any moment 1t was not
holly SAFE and certainly 1t Was hardly 0ignifcd
mode of exit the President OF the United States
| and his family but somehow Mr.. Cleveland seems
to regard such proceeding as necessary because he
| is President His predecessors Office walked into
the station and took their seats like other people and
nobody thought that the dignity OF the 0thce suffered
thereby. The only exception, believe, was in the
| case OF Mr.. Lincoln when be came to Washington
before his Inauguration in the stormy days OF 1851.
At that time, however, great many OF his friends
believed that the President-elect in great danger
| OF assassination
Although more than twenty two years have passed
since that fatal shot was fired 10 Fords Theatre ono
frequently hears incidents related which have bear
| ing the tragedy the chief actors in 1t. John
| Wilkes Booth was almost as we'll known In Washing.
| ton as Mr. Lincoln and he had multitude of devoted
| friends. Not long ago heard an ex-Confederae
officer relate of his personal recoections OF she
assassin Among other things he said lived very
close to history -blood-staned as IL was--in those
terrible days. that the war was virtually over
and that the South had lost. Weary OF the hopeless
struggle / returned to my Maryland home and OBJ
tanned place postmaster at one of the little river
towns on the north bank of the Potomac. In those
days good deal OF contraoand mail matter was sent
across the river and through the lines under cover OF
night knew Booth well, and like most young men
admired him. few nights before the ASSASSINATION
| he came to my house late, In state OF considerable
| excitement He said that he had lot Of important
letters which must be sent through the lines that
night When the letters brought in found that
they filed several bags and told Booth that 1t would
be impossible to ship them ali at once without dis
coyery lie insisted that IL was matter OF lite and
DEATH and that il could aot get the mail across the
| river he would undertake the lob himself prom
sed tn do the best could and he and bis companions
rode of. Shortly afterward spent several days in
| Washington and was much with Booth. He was
irritable and preoccuped and drank good DEAL but
neither his excitement his tipping struck me- who
| knew him well, as very unusual was with INN
until the morning OF that terrible day and that nghs
when the intelligence OF the awful crime spread like
wildfre through the city horrible abyss seemed to
open at my feet Booths midnight visit to my tile post
Office my open, continuous aud intimate association
with him In Washington for several days; the tact
that had IN my possession magnificent photograph
| for which he sat during that tme-al these crcum-
stances filled me with dread. knew that II tell
under suspicion and arrested In that time of hor
ror and excitement it would be probably impossible
for me to convince anybody that | was not privy TO
the crime. succeeded in escaping from the cty ana
in avoiding SUI uon, but for many weeks lived in
constant terror. Bur l was innocent learned
after yard that OF the contraband letters about
the forwarding OF which Booth expressed SO much
ANXIETY con tanned hint ot the dreadful crime Tor
| which he az that time doubtless was making prepara-
tons It such had been the doubt not that swift
! warning would have been sent ts Washington aud
the tragedy sverted"
| Assistant Secretary TnomI son. of the Treasury
Department has returned from his junketing trip-l
beg pardon again, from his tour OF oniciai ihspec-
| ton" Mr. THOMPSON is o South Carolina man ana
| his journeyings alcng the Canadian border and
through the treat Lakes, therefore, gave him some
| new impressions The lake voyages must have been
| pleasant in the extreme, for they were made on
abes and drnkables tor The occasion. Among the
incidents related by Mr.. Thompson is one which
saving station on Lake Michigan, which was subjected
to the keen scrutiny OF the experienced South Caro-
lima mariner. One OF the crew at thai stanon, man
named Williams. recently performed heroic deed N
rescung tour men from drowning, at The FISK OF ms
| own life Thompson naturally desired II see this
man, and feeling perhaps, that the aweInspiring
presence of an Assistant Secretary of the treasury
| might deprive the hero OF his sctf-possession,
| come aud don a liicprcserver in his presence. But
even this ingenious attempt to place the tar at MS
ease Unsuccessful. so awfully oppressive Is The
L,pa Da fall ala tFlln "A
that lllams actually trembled in his presence AID
required assistance adjust the itepreseryer 10 no
| own body-pot rhompsons OF course Thompson
| enjoyed the mp
hear that Mr. Riley, the superintendent OF Indian
schools is about leave Washington OH tour OF in-
spection which probably will be long and pleasant
one 1t may be ABOUT the oDsy p.sa, ,; .n,"S -
naturally thought that one OF the duties II not the
chief duty OF a superintendent: was 10 superntend:
He has discovered his mistake. Messrs ATKINS aud
Upshaw not only appoint oil tho teachers aud other
employees, but they prescribe the studies ara perform
other duties which commonly belong 70 s@Re, ,.
state of arairs, aud hear that ne has thtea'ehrd
even to resign. Th,. story. howeyer needs sl'9ns
| confirmation. Mr. Riley is true Democrat, and ae
will net ne likely therefore voluntarily to relaqnsh
an office which pays him salary OF $1,000 aud
affords opportunities for travel at the public expense.
Tho friends of Commissioner Black were greved TO
hear of his illness. None of them attributes Il TO
oyerwork in tte performance OF his Official duties a-
deed some the oldest aud most experienced me" ia
the service declare that the business OF the Pe'ion
Bureau would be conducted more smoothly ana ex-
ned.ousIy II Black would be absent all the time w
stead of coming here every month or two 10 interfere
with matters. understand that he has Just issued
an order TO the heads OF the several adJndlcating
divisions requiring them 10 inform all claimants
whose applications have been pending tor more taan
q year that unless the additional evidence required
snail BE- supplied within 100 daya their claims VIII
be rejected Now tue " Physical Wreck knows or
ought to know. that the order Is Illegal and thas
Whenever claimant ofiers evidence in support OF his
claim it must be considered The purpose OF the
order is apparent. Black wants to make big show
Ing next juno In the number of claims Opposed OF
dn,ng tho dscal year lie hss rushed through ali The
EASY cases aud row be proposes TO shirk all 'hs
dicuIt ones tor tile time being IN order to strengthen
his little boomet for the Vlce.Presidencs. OLe
sasct Of his order pro badly will be 70 discourage
oooi many claimants who lind it difficult 10 collect
L IL h, L Enl 10 aha lhsiH